Life Unknown
by truegryffindorgrit
Summary: Laura is a muggle teenager living in the seemingly bland little village of Ottery St Catchpole. Her mundane life takes a unusual twist when the son of the world's most famous wizard walks into her life - a fact that Laura is completely oblivious to.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

I remember the first time I saw him. I was seven years old and at the play park in the middle of the village. It was July, at the start of the school holidays, and a friend of my mother's had offered to take me for the afternoon. My parents had separated the year before and my dad had moved to London for work. I hadn't really seen him since. My mum ran the village newsagents and didn't have enough money to hire anyone else in, so during the holidays when I was out of school it was difficult for her. I spent my days either playing in behind the counter or being minded by one of her friends.

It didn't bother me though. Ottery St. Catchpole was such a small place that everyone knew everyone else anyway, so my mother's friends felt more like family and they had plenty of children my age for me to play with. My best friend was Kathryn, we were in the same class at school and she lived next door to me. She was in the play park that day as well, ordering some of the boys about into whatever game she had concocted for us. There wasn't much else for us to do in those days except play in the same park day after day. Luckily Kathryn's imagination was enough to make sure that every day the play park held something different for us.

As I said Ottery St. Catchpole was a small place, so I remember the first time I saw him.

He was in a car I hadn't seen before which immediately caught my attention. New things were always interesting. The pretty lady with the long red hair got out of the car first, I saw her hurry towards my mother's shop before stopping abruptly. She walked back towards the car and retrieved the young boy, with the messy dark hair, from the back seat, where he had been hammering determinedly against the window. He held his mother's hand with a look of absolute triumph, as she again hurried them towards the paper shop. Two minutes later when they returned, the mother carrying a large bottle of water and some tissues, the boy excitedly waving a packet of crisps. For the briefest moment I saw a flash of white teeth in the windscreen as the driver of the car gave a large grin. Then they got in and the car sped off just as quickly as it arrived. They were gone.

* * *

Years went by and sometimes the mysterious family crossed into my mind, but not often. A few infrequent conversations with my mother about the subject led me to deduce that they were probably members of one of the families who lived just outside the village, although no one knew quite where.

"They don't go to school here," she told me one Sunday afternoon as we did a stock check. "I remember some of them used to come into the shop when I was about your age. Very funny boys. Used to show me magic tricks – fantastic they were. Absolutely flaming red hair."

"Didn't you ask them where they went to school then?"

"Didn't really talk to them much, and they never came in that often. Nice boys though," she mused.

"Weird though that there are whole families living near here and nobody seems to know anything about them. Maybe they're schooled at home?"

"Maybe," she sighed, before we moved onto talking about that evening's dinner.

Myself I went to the village primary school until I was 11, and then went to the much larger local comprehensive, which took in pupils from three of the surrounding towns and villages, not such Ottery. I had just finished my fifth year there when the mysterious boy with the messy dark hair came thundering back into my life.

"Look busy!" Kathryn all but screamed as she came thundering into the shop.

"What?" I said blearily, blinking up from the gossip magazine I'd been reading on the counter. It was nearly closing time on a Friday evening and the shop had been empty for hours.

"Boys!" she hissed.

"So?"

"_New_ boys!"

"Oh?" Now I was vaguely intrigued.

"Saw them coming across the square. Looked like they were heading this way," she explained as she fixed her dark hair in the glass reflection of the drinks fridge. Now Kathryn was not the type of girl to lose her composure over boys but – "And they are _fit_!"

She had just managed to turn round and drape herself nonchalantly in front of the leftovers of today's papers when the bell over the shop door rang out.

The first boy, a year or two older than myself, took a good long look around, before he fully entered the shop. He was of average height with a stocky build, dark skin and dark hair to match. His most striking feature was his mischievous grin which he flashed back to his companion, beckoning him to enter. I looked back down to my magazine as he did so, not wanting to appear too interested in them.

Kathryn had no such qualms.

"Hey," she said a little too eagerly as the two boys wandered round the shop.

"Hey," said the first boy, after a brief pause. I looked up in time to see him lift a tube of crisps and start to shake them.

"Please don't do that," I said wearily. I spent most days saying this to five year olds, not people who looked about seventeen. "It breaks the crisps and then people won't buy them.

"Sorry," he said putting them back down with another flash of his grin.

"And you," I continued, turning to his friend. I was about to tell him off for reading through the magazines without buying them when something stopped me. It was him I realised. The little boy from all those years ago, but now he was all grown up. The same messy dark hair, with dark eyes, pale skin and a few freckles round his nose. He also had the same triumphant grin he had worn, waving his packet of crisps. It was gone with my next sentence.

"Oh," I said without thinking. "I know you."

The change was small but palpable. The boys continued to look indifferently around the shop but their grins were long gone. I also noticed a few furtive glances pass between them.

"Really?" said the mysterious boy, trying and failing to laugh it off.

"Well, I don't _know_ you," I explained. "But I remember you. You've been in here before."

"Yea?" he asked, still tense

"Yea about nine years ago," I continued.

"Yea?" he said again, before looking around at his friend. "I honestly don't remember."

And why would you? Trips to a newsagent to pick up a bag of crisps are not memories someone normally holds on to for nearly a decade. Not unless you live in a village with about twelve people in it and the highlight of your day is locking up a shop that gets about seven customers a week. I looked back down at my magazine and waited for a large hole to open and swallow me up.

"Ottery is a very small place," Kathryn stepped in. "We remember new faces."

"Cool," said the first boy, visibly more relaxed than his friend. "What's your name?" he asked her.

"Kathryn," she replied

"And you?" he nodded towards me.

"Laura," I mumbled and immediately went back to my magazine.

"And where do you two go to school?" he continued. I noticed his friend had slunk off back towards the shop door, probably looking for a quick getaway from the stalker shop girl.

"The local comprehensive," Kathryn answered. "St Mark's. You know it?"

"Not from around here," he said, shaking his head.

"Where you from?" Kathryn asked.

"London," he replied. "I'm Fred and this is James." He beckoned his friend back from the door. "Come and say hello James."

"Hey," said James blankly. It was clear he all he wanted to do was leave.

"What brings you to Ottery St. Catchpole?" Kathryn asked. I secretly cursed her for prolonging the conversation.

"We're staying with our grandparents," Fred explained.

"Oh you're brothers?" Kathryn asked another question. Just let them _leave_.

"Cousins," Fred corrected her. "We're just here for a couple of weeks."

"Oh," said Kathryn, deflated.

"But maybe we could see you again?" At this James began to shift back to the door. "What is there to do around here?"

"Nothing!" I couldn't help but blurt out.

"Most nights we just hang out at the park," Kathryn explained. "See what happens."

"Yea? Well maybe we'll see you there then," he finished with another flash of that mischievous grin. "Later girls."

"Bye," said James hurriedly.

And with that they were gone.

After making sure they were out of earshot, we both let out our emotions through sounds – I groaned and Kathryn squealed.

"Do you think they'll really come to the park?" she asked bouncing about near the window, trying to get a last glimpse at them.

"No," I groaned, head now lying on the magazine in front of me.

"Tonight?"

"No."

"Tomorrow?"

"No, and throw the 'closed' sign round would you?"

"Do you think – "

"No!" I cut her off. "You are not listening to me. No. I don't think we'll see those boys again. Ok?"

"Why?"

"Because I am pretty sure I scared them off with my apparent stalkerish tendencies."

"Yea what was that about by the way?"

"I honestly don't know," I groaned again. Picking myself up from the counter and beginning to close down the till.

"Fred didn't seem to mind," she continued positively.

"Well James did."

"Ah," she said, with a knowing smirk. "You like him."

"No I don't," I replied wearily. "I just wish he didn't think I was keeping a diary of his movements."

"Well we see," she said in a singsong voice, opening the shop door. "When they show up to the park."

"No we won't" I chorused back to her as she disappeared. "And thanks for helping me close up by the way."

I spend the rest of the evening closing up the shop and hoping I would never see those boys again. Praying I would never see those boys again. Wishing I would never see those boys again. Trust me. My life would be infinitely simpler if I had never seen those boys again.

But obviously I did.

And I wouldn't change that for the world.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Kathryn it's been three days!" I pleaded with her. "Please can we just go?"

"No," came the resolute answer.

We had been spending every evening since meeting Fred and James waiting in the local park for them to show up. Well I say we, really it was Kathryn who wanted to see them again. I was assuring myself they had been so bored with Ottery St Catchpole that the bright lights of London had lured them back. It wasn't that we would have been doing anything terribly more interesting with our time exactly, but sometimes other options arose. Like tonight.

"Kathryn get in the car," said Tom. Tom was Kathryn's older brother who had passed his driving test the previous summer. He was still saving up for his own car, but tonight he had managed to borrow their dad's.

"No" she said firmly again. She sat on a swing, arms folded over her chest.

"Well I'm going," I said, starting towards the car.

"Good!" Tom said enthusiastically. "At least one of you has some sense. Come on Kathryn! The showing starts at eight…"

"No! And you're can't go either!" she scolded me. "You can't leave me here on my own! What if they show up?"

"They won't!" I shouted at her, jumping into the passenger seat. "Besides you're not on your own," I continued, gesturing over towards some twelve year olds dangling off the climbing frame. I closed the door quickly so I couldn't hear whatever tirade she launched at me. "Drive!" I commanded, shouting over Tom's laughter.

"What was that all about?" he asked, as we sped out of the square and towards the outskirts of the village.

"Boys," I said rolling my eyes and immediately felt guilty. I shouldn't portray Kathryn as a boy crazy teen when she really wasn't. Especially to her older brother. "Some boys came in the shop the other night. Said they might come down to the park," I clarified.

"But you don't think they will?"

I shook my head. I didn't really feel explaining why I hoped they wouldn't.

"Anyone I know?" Tom continued.

"No," I replied. "Well I don't think so. They're not from here. They're just up staying with their grandparents."

Tom shrugged and turned the radio on, his interest in the newcomers waning. I suppose hearing about some boys that you've never met and are likely never to meet, who your sixteen year old sister may or may not have a liking for is not every eighteen year olds top priority. I slipped into an uncomfortable silence with myself, beginning to wonder if I had done the right thing leaving Kathryn on her own like that. I still didn't think they would turn up but what would Kathryn do now I had left her? She wouldn't just stay there all night by herself would she?

"You mind what we see?" asked Tom, interrupting my inner monologue.

I shook my head. I was not a great film fan so it didn't matter. The nearest cinema was in the next town over and the only way to get there at this time of night was to grab a lift with somebody. Really I just liked the drive.

I was just about to ask Tom what movie he wanted to see when two people walking along the side of the lane towards us caught my attention. A pair of bright brown eyes caught mine as we passed them.

I gasped.

"What?" asked Tom, craning his head round briefly to see.

"I think that was them," I explained.

"Oh," said Tom. "You want me to drop you back?"

"No, no."

Yes.

"No, its fine."

Leave me back.

"Besides it's not fair leaving you. You'll have no one else to go with."

"Oh get the tiny violins out why don't you!" Tom protested. "Poor little Laura having to take me out to the cinema because I have no friends!"

I burst out laughing.

"Not my fault your friends all went on holiday without you!"

"Yea well it's not my fault I didn't have the money to spend on that and try and save for a car. Seriously do you want me to take you back?" He slowed the car down.

"No," I said resolutely. The initial want to see them had be conquered by my overwhelming desire not to make an idiot of myself in public again. "No," I said again, taking a calming breath.

Tom eyed me wearily and then sped up again.

"Good girl," he said.

"What do you mean 'good girl'?" I asked incredulously.

"Don't run after boys, Laura. Let them come to you," he continued, nodding sagely.

"Ok, _Dad_."

"I'm very wise, Laura. You would do well to remember that." He winked.

"Tom. You are eighteen. You are only two years older than me," I contested. "And besides no teenage boy has ever been _wise_."

"You would do well to remember that as well."

We laughed for the rest of the journey.

I don't remember what movie we saw.

* * *

Mrs Martin was in the shop the next morning when Kathryn made her dramatic entrance. It took some of the theatrics out of it and also gave me a moment to prepare for the onslaught I knew was coming.

"Listen," I started when Mrs Martin had left. I decided to get my justification in early to try and diffuse the situation.

"Oh don't apologise to me," she said, wafting away my unspoken apology. "Apologise to yourself."

"That good?"

"Better. Told you they would come back."

"You did," I concurred, as Kathryn jumped up to sit on the counter. "What did you get up to then?"

"Oh this and that," she smirked. "I showed them a few sites."

"Sites?" I scoffed. "Like what? The cricket ground?"

"Yea actually. I know," she agreed, responding to the look I had just given her. "But they actually seemed genuinely interested in it, and everything else I showed them."

"Like what?"

"Like the different shops, and the school and… oh they got a real kick out of Mr Rossborough's garden gnomes." Kathryn started laughing at the memory.

"Really? They never seen those before?"

"Mustn't have. Suppose they wouldn't really have those in London would they?"

"Suppose not," I concurred. "What else did you do then? Or did the three of you just walk about all evening?"

Kathryn blushed. I raised an eyebrow.

"I kissed him," she all but burst.

"Who?"

"Fred!" For a brief moment a strange feeling washed over me. Relief? It didn't last long enough for me to decipher.

"My goodness Kathryn you don't waste your time," I chastised her. Kathryn was not normally in the habit of kissing boys she had just met, myself even less so.

"I know," she said, placing her hands over her face to hide her crimson cheeks. "But he's really nice. _Really_ nice."

"What do you even know about him?"

"Well he's older," she started. "Same age as Tom, just finished school."

"Oh? He off to Uni as well then?" Tom was leaving for Bath in September.

"Don't know. He didn't talk much about himself."

"Or were you too busy talking about yourself to listen?"

"No! Honestly they seemed more interested in what I had to say." I gave her a stern look. "_Honestly_! Look I'll ask him tonight."

"You're seeing him tonight?"

"Yea, he's coming round to mine," she said gleefully. "My parents are out for their anniversary and Tom's working."

I raised my eyebrow again.

"It's not like that!" she protested. "James is coming too."

"Poor James," I scoffed. "Having to put up with another night of you two snogging."

"I told you it's not like that, and besides you'll be there too."

"I will?" I asked sceptically.

"Yes you can talk to James so it's less awkward. Please?"

"Ok, but I'm not sitting watching you two smooching on the couch all evening alright?"

"Promise. See you 'bout seven, ok?" she said sweetly.

"Yea, I'll text you."

She gave a little wave as she left.

* * *

"Do you need me for anything tonight Mum?"

She looked up from the dining room table, where the paperwork from the shop was spread out in front of her. Our small terrace house had just two rooms on the ground floor. The kitchen was tucked out the back of the house, to the left of the main room. The 'dining room' was really just where we put the table in this room, which at the front had two two-seater settees, forming the 'living room'. Upstairs we had two bedrooms, one for each of us, and the bathroom. It was small, but we made do.

"No love." She smiled, but she looked stressed. The shop was a family business, passed down to my mum from her parents, who had retired and moved to the coast a few years ago. My grandparents had always had each other to help lessen the load of running their own business, whereas my mum was on her own. I tried to help as much as I could but balancing the books and stock ordering where still out of my expertise.

"Ok, well I'm going to go next door to Kathryn's. If you need me just text," I said, waving my phone at her.

"Ok love," she said without looking up from the bookkeeping in front of her. "Have a nice night."

I took the short walk down our little garden's path, and turned immediately into the Hutchinson's front yard. I gave a small rap of the front door and then walked inside. Kathryn and Tom's house had the exact same layout as my own. The main difference was that the Hutchinson's had their loft converted giving them another bedroom at the very top of the house. This was Tom's room. Kathryn's room was the same as my own, and it was where I found her straightening her hair.

"Sorry, I'm a bit early."

"No problem. Can you do the back?" she said handing me the straighteners. She was wearing makeup and a strappy top with sequins sewn around the neckline. I looked down at my own boot cut jeans and hoodie and gave a little sigh.

"What exactly are you planning to do tonight?" For a horrible moment I thought she might have changed the plan from just sitting in the house to heading out to some party I knew nothing about.

"I don't know. Watch a movie or something?"

When we went downstairs the television was already on, showing one of the evening soaps. I sat down to watch it while Kathryn sat by the window, her eyes trained down the street.

"Do they know where they're coming to?" I asked, whilst trying to decipher the storyline unfolding in front of me.

"Should do," she replied distractedly. "I showed them last night."

"Why don't you text him?" I didn't think I could take another night of Kathryn sitting waiting for these boys to show up.

"Can't. Doesn't have a phone."

"He doesn't have a phone?" I asked incredulously.

"Says he doesn't need one. Oh! They're here. Oh."

"What?"

"There's a girl with them," she replied, sounding a little dejected. "Why would they bring a girl with them? Do you think it's his girlfriend?"

"Yea," I replied, not looking away from the television. "I think he kissed you last night so tonight he's brought his girlfriend to meet you."

"She's pretty."

"It's probably his sister. Or another cousin."

"Well we're about to find out. They're right outside."

She had the front door open before they'd even opened the gate. I stepped up behind her so that she looked less eager and also because I thought she looked like she needed moral support.

"Hey," said Kathryn, a bit too breathlessly for my liking.

"Alright?" said Fred in response. James lingered at the gate for a moment with the mystery girl, although now I could see her it was far less of a mystery. I had been right with my first guess, this tall, slim, dark hair, dark skinned girl was clearly Fred's sister. The likeness was striking. The look on Kathryn's face told me she was far from convinced though.

James whispered something unintelligible to her then followed Fred down the path. She lingered by the gate, grinning at Kathryn and me.

"I'm Roxy," she declared when it became clear neither boy was going to introduce her.

"My sister," Fred clarified. "She's not coming in."

"Oh?" said Kathryn, trying and failing to sound disappointed.

"Not allowed," said Roxy, continuing to beam at us. It was beginning to feel a bit unnerving, but I think that's what she was going for.

"Shut up, Rox," said Fred marching past us and into the house.

"Later Rox," called James, following him.

Kathryn and I exchanged a look and followed them into the living room.

"Sorry about that," said Fred sitting himself down on Kathryn's settee. "Sisters you know?"

"Not really. I only have a brother," said Kathryn sitting down beside him. She tried not to look too excited when he took her hand.

"What about you?" Fred asked, nodding at me as I sat down in the armchair.

"Only child," I replied.

"Cool. What's that like?"

"Alright I suppose. I don't really know anything different."

"You?" I asked James, noticing he hadn't sat down yet.

"One brother, one sister," he replied briskly. He finally picked a seat, uncomfortably sitting down beside Kathryn on the settee. She looked disgruntled.

"So movie or videogame?" she asked.

"Uh… don't really play videogames," replied Fred. An eighteen year old boy who doesn't have a phone and doesn't play videogames? Something didn't really add up.

"Movie then?" Kathryn seemed unperturbed.

"You pick," said Fred

The movie was nearly over and I still wasn't feeling any more comfortable. I went into the kitchen under the pretence of getting a drink but really I just wanted a break and a chance to plot my escape. Thirty seconds later I had an accomplice.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" James asked.

"I…" I was a little taken aback. James had barely uttered a word since he had first arrived. He opened the door a little so I could see Kathryn and Fred kissing on the sofa. "Oh ok."

We muttered a goodbye as we left but received no response. Walking down the street outside I realised I had no idea where we were heading, and hoped something would inspire me soon. Until then, here I was walking aimlessly with a boy I didn't know and had barely spoken to, while my friend tongue wrestled his cousin. Thanks Kathryn.

"So Fred seems nice," I said, trying to break the awkward silence. James laughed.

"He is actually. You know, if you actually get to talk to him."

"Well I don't think I'm going to get to do much of that this evening. Does he do this often?" I wanted to get to the bottom of this quickly. Kathryn was my friend and she seemed to really like this boy, but to me something just seemed… off.

"Not that often. But…"

"But what?"

"Don't let her get too attached." It was frank but it was honest. I found myself warming to this boy.

"Thanks. I appreciate that."

"No worries. This is a nice village." He gestured to the village hall we had just passed.

"It's ok. It's nothing on London though."

"London's ok, but sometimes it's nice to have some wide open space."

"You go to school there?"

"No. I go to boarding school in Scotland. Fred used to go there too."

"Boarding school? Wow." I had never met anyone who boarded before. "How many years do you have left?"

"Two. You?"

"Well if I do ok in my GCSEs I'll hopefully being going to Sixth Form College in September. You must be waiting on your GCSE results as well?"

"Uh…"

"Oh wait. They do something different in Scotland don't they? Highers or something?"

"Something different yeah… What do you want to do at college?"

"Doesn't really matter. I'm just going to end up working in the shop here anyway." I pointed over to the little paper shop, closed up for the night. "It's a family business."

"Cool. Fred has one of those as well. A family business, I mean. A shop."

"Oh? What do they sell?"

"Jokes," came the unusual answer. "It's really popular actually," he added, responding to my disbelieving look.

"Sorry," I said, readjusting my face. "It's just I haven't seen a joke shop in years. What's it called?"

"Weasley's."

"Weasley's? That's your family?" He nodded. "Fred Weasley?" He nodded again. "James Weasley?"

"Potter," he corrected me.

"Sorry."

"It's ok. The rest of them are all Weasleys. We're the Potters," he said a little stiffly. "My mum is the only girl."

"Big family?"

"Yeah she's one of seven."

I gave a little chuckle. As an only child I couldn't even imagine having a family that big.

"You must have a lot of cousins."

"There's…" I watched him count them up in his head. "…twelve of us, I think."

"You think?" We had just reached the end of the village square. I sat down on the bench beside the bus stop. The buses wouldn't be running at this time in the evening and I didn't feel like going back yet. James joined me.

"It's easy to forget someone when it comes to the Weasleys. There's hundreds."

"Well at least you're a Potter then. Makes you easier to remember!" I smiled at my own joke, but James didn't seem to share my amusement.

"No one ever forgets the Potters. Trust me."

"Memorable lot are you?" I goaded him.

"Quite."

"So are all twelve of you staying with your grandparents at the moment then?"

"No. Just Fred, Roxy and me," he said. Then after a moment – "Oh Lucy's here too. Another cousin."

"They are easy to forget," I laughed.

"Well she doesn't have much to do with the rest of us. Sees enough of us in school I suppose," he reasoned.

"She goes to your school as well?"

"We all go to the same school."

"And your brother and sister?

"Yeah them as well. They're both in at home in London with my parents at the moment though. They're both younger," he explained, although it was clear he didn't want to discuss them any further.

"So Roxy seems fun?" I tried again.

"Yea she is," he said, immediately brightening. "Loves winding Fred up."

"I gathered that. Why didn't she come in earlier?"

"Oh she was only coming to keep me company. Last night got a bit awkward."

"I'll bet," I chuckled.

"She decided to go though, when she saw you were here."

"Oh? She didn't need to," I said earnestly. I wanted him to be absolutely sure that this was unconditionally, unequivocally, definitely _not_ a date.

"Maybe not," he said. "I think Fred wanted rid of her as well though."

"I'm sure."

"You're not out with your friend tonight then?" asked James. So he had seen me in the car with Tom. "Is he your boyfriend?"

"Tom?" I laughed. "No. No, no, no. Tom is Kathryn's brother. Not my boyfriend. No."

James smiled.

"Good."

As I said, this was definitely not a date.

* * *

We must have sat on that bench for an hour or more. We watched the few residents of Ottery St Catchpole go about their evening errands and we talked. Kathryn hadn't been lying when she said the boys had been more interested in her than talking themselves. James spoke sparingly about his life and even less so about his family. However he was far from a boring bench companion and I found myself a little disappointed when it started to get dark and he suggested going back. I didn't pull away when he took my hand as we walked.

As we got nearer to my house I felt my mouth starting to go dry. How were we going to say goodnight? Would my mum be waiting for me? Would he try and kiss me? It had been a nice evening but I'd only just met him.

I needn't have worried. The presence of Kathryn sitting on my doorstep took all those thoughts from my mind.

"Where have you been?" she demanded, as we got closer. The hedges in my garden hid the fact we were holding hands from her. I gently let go and stepped into the path. James followed me.

"Around," I replied vaguely. "Why are you here?"

"Ugh! Tom got off shift early. Fred left about half an hour after you did. I've been waiting for _ages_," she ranted.

"Then why didn't you wait in your house?" It seemed a reasonable idea, what with her living next door.

"Because Tom is being a… _prat_!" She would have used something stronger if James hadn't been there. Suddenly I had a better idea of why Fred had left so quickly.

"I better go," said James. He didn't though. He just stood looking between myself and Kathryn. Kathryn stared resolutely back.

"Kathryn…" I began when she still didn't get the hint.

"Ugh! Fine!" she opened my front door, which my mother normally left unlocked, leading to even more questions as to why she was sitting on the step.

"Sorry, I just wanted to ask Laura something," James apologised as she huffed off inside.

"You want my number?" I asked after she had slammed the door behind her. He looked at me puzzled. "My mobile number?" I asked again, taking my phone out and waving it at him.

"Oh! No," he replied. I deflated a bit. "I don't have one." He didn't have a phone either? Strange family.

"I was going to ask you for a kiss."

I don't know if it was because it was so brazen. Or if it was the way his bright brown eyes never left mine when he said it. Or if it was simply the way he never took his hands out of his pockets whilst he did it, but something about this boy had won me over.

I gave him a quick kiss on the lips, then turned round and went inside without saying another word.

And I'm glad I did.

Thanks Kathryn.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Why do you read those things?"

James and my relationship had moved along quite steadily since our first kiss. I had seen him nearly every day since. We went for walks, or we went to the park, or we sat on our bench. Some days, like today, he would come and see me while I worked in the shop. I had been doing my usual trick of reading through the magazines and papers, when business was slow, to keep myself entertained. I had been leafing through one of the gossip magazines when he walked in.

"It passes the time." I smiled at him and leant in for a kiss. He obliged me and gave another concerned look down at the magazine. "It's a bit of fun, James. It's harmless."

"I bet those people don't think so," he said, pointing at some of the actresses in the article I had been reading. "You know they make these stories up?"

"Well there must be some truth in them," I reasoned.

"No," he said firmly. "They make them up. Complete rubbish."

"Ok, well I'll put it away," I said, slowly folding the magazine up and putting it under the counter. "Look it's gone." I held up my empty hands. "Like magic."

He flinched and then looked at me with an even more serious face.

"Fred's gone."

"Gone? Gone where?"

"Home. Back to London. He's gone."

I looked at him dumbstruck.

"He had to go Laura, he has to start work for his dad," James tried to explain.

"Did he even say goodbye to her?"

Fred had continued to see Kathryn, not as frequently as James came to see me, but enough. I had told Kathryn about James' warning of course, but it didn't matter, she had fallen for him as hard as sixteen year old girls tend to do.

"I don't think so."

A silence fell between us.

"Look," said James. "It wasn't meant to be any great love affair. It was just a silly summer fling. Laura! LAURA!"

I had turned away from him and shut myself in the stock room.

"Laura I didn't mean that about us!" he called through the door. "It's just, I know Fred. I always knew he would be here for a few weeks, have a good time and then he would leave to start working for his dad. I did warn you! Don't punish me for my bloody cousin!"

"I always knew he was bad news," I spat, storming out of the store and jabbing my index finger into James' chest.

"He's not bad news, Laura," James tried to placate me. "He's just… He's a…"

"He's a what?" I snapped.

"He's a bloke."

"That's no excuse! He can't come here, lead on my friend and then just… leave."

We both knew I was no longer talking about Fred. It was now into August and I knew that James would be leaving to go back to school in September.

"I'm still here," said James.

"For how long?"

"A week," he replied honestly. "Maybe two."

"Ok," I said, taking a breath. "The way I see it we have two options. You can either walk out of here right now, I'll go home and Kathryn and I can have a good cry together tonight, and forget the two of you tomorrow." It was unlikely to be that quick, but I didn't need him to know that. "Or you can wait here until closing, walk me home and we will make the most of it until you have to leave. Your decision."

"I'll wait," he replied almost immediately.

I smiled. I knew it was the stupid decision but I smiled.

James waited until the end of shift and then walked me home, holding my hand like he always did. The heaviness of our previous conversation had lifted and we were chatting easily like usual.

"What are you going to tell Kathryn?" he asked as we turned into my street.

I shrugged.

"Do you want me to tell her?" he offered.

"No James," I laughed. "Thanks, but that would be like putting you in front of a firing squad."

"You'd like to keep me around a bit longer then?" he smirked, just as we walked through my front gate.

"You know I would," I said quietly. He paused, realising what he'd said. I walked on and put my key in the front door, trying to push past the moment. That's what we had agreed wasn't it? Make the most of it? Don't mention his imminent departure?

"Laura, I have no choice." I turned to find him standing resolutely on my path, staring at me.

"I know."

"Two weeks," he said, reaching out for my hand.

"Two weeks," I replied, giving it to him. He pulled me towards him, leaning his face down to mine, just as the door opened behind us.

"Hello?" my mum asked, quizzically looking at my keys still left hanging in the door.

James jumped back as I quickly dropped his hand.

"Hi… Mum…" As close as I was to my mother and with as much time as I had been spending with James, I had yet to actually mention him to her.

"Hello," she said again, looking straight past me to James, a slight smirk on her lips.

"Mum this is… James," I turned slightly so I could see his frozen expression out of the corner of my eye.

"You must be Laura's secret boyfriend." I felt the world slip beneath my feet. We had never used that word before. James however seemed to snap out of his reverie.

"Nice to meet you Mrs Coulter," he said, extending his hand to her. "I'm James. James Potter."

"Very formal, Mr Potter," she teased him. "Please call me Jane."

"Jane," he repeated, releasing her hand.

"Are you coming in?"

"No," he replied quickly, with a furtive glance to me. "Unfortunately my grandmother will have already have my dinner on the table. I was just walking Laura home."

"How very chivalrous," my mother replied, her eyes glinting. "How about you join us tomorrow? For dinner?"

I rolled my eyes at her.

"That would be lovely," James replied without a hint of irony.

"Very good," nodded my mother appreciatively. "Well I'll see you tomorrow James. I'll just go back to my programme," she added, awkwardly leaving us alone.

"I'm so sorry," I groaned, covering my face in my hands. "You don't have to come to dinner."

"No it'll be good," James insisted. "It'll be nice to see the inside of your house." He gave me a quick kiss on my cheek, probably wary of my mother still lurking about. "I'll see you tomorrow. At the shop?"

"Yeah," I replied, a bit dazed. "Tomorrow."

He left and I continued in my trance as I walked into my house. My mum was watching the evening soaps as I glanced round the room.

"Laura what is the matter? You look like you've never seen the place before."

"I'm trying to guess what he'll think," I replied vaguely, still looking.

"Think about what?"

"The house! He says he can't wait to see the house!"

"Why do you care what he thinks about the house?" she asked, beginning to glance around with me. "What's wrong with my house?"

"Nothing Mum… it's just he goes to boarding school."

"So?"

"Well he must be rich, mustn't he? Boarding schools are expensive."

"Probably Laura, but honestly, I think he's worked out that we're not. He's seen the outside of the house, he knows it's not going to magically expand whenever he comes inside."

"I guess," I said, exhaling. "Why did you have to do that? You're so embarrassing."

"Well I heard the keys in the door," she smirked at me. "And it didn't look like you were going to introduce him anytime soon."

"How did you even know?"

"Oh for goodness sake Laura," she scoffed. "You think you're going to have some mystery boy mooning after you round the village for weeks and nobody is going to tell me? It's been the talk of the village."

"He doesn't _moon_," I protested.

"Can't believe you have your first boyfriend," she sighed, ignoring me. "I feel so old."

"He's not my –" I began to object but stopped myself. James hadn't seemed to mind the term, maybe I shouldn't either? "I'm going upstairs to change, and then I'm going to Kathryn's."

"Okay love," my mum replied, settling back to her soaps. "Dinner in about an hour ok?"

* * *

The conversation with Kathryn went better than expected. There were a few tears of course, but not the dramatic floods that I had prepared myself for.

"Well I always knew he was leaving," she reasoned. "And besides I'll have you to join me in my misery in a few weeks," she tried to joke, but I grimaced.

Walking back into my house in time for dinner I was just heading upstairs to wash my hands when the sound of my mother on the phone in the living room distracted me.

"Laura… yeah… He's a very handsome boy… Not local I don't think, no… He's goes to a boarding school, that's all I know…"

I started to go down the stairs again to confront her about having conversations with goodness knows who about me when something stopped me again.

"No, no. His name is Potter… No, dark hair, very dark hair…"

"Who are you talking to?" I asked, finally entering the room.

"Oh she's back for dinner," my mum said, without a hint of embarrassment. "Yea Mum, I'll speak to you soon. Love you. Bye."

"Was that Gran?"

"Who else do I call 'Mum'?" she asked, getting up from the settee and heading to the kitchen.

"Why are you talking about James? You don't even know James!"

"Because that's what mothers do Laura. Now hush," she shushed my whining and we sat down to dinner.

* * *

The next day in the shop passed painfully slowly. When closing time finally came around James arrived promptly, looking much neater than he normally did.

"Did you comb your hair?" I laughed as he walked in.

"Tried to," replied Roxanne, bounding in behind him.

"Hi," I replied, trying to keep the confusion from my voice.

"She's not coming," James explained quickly, rolling his eyes.

"I'm his cover," she whispered dramatically. He glared at her. "Gran thinks he's out with me."

"Oh thanks Rox!" James said, exasperated.

"Well, it's true."

"Piss off Rox." She gave a cheeky little wave and departed to goodness knows where. "She has done nothing but pick on me since Fred left. I didn't know she could be so annoying." He sounded worn out.

"Well at least she's doing you a favour tonight," I said icily.

"Laura, it's just easier this way."

"You couldn't tell your grandparents you were coming to dinner? Do they know about me?"

"Yesterday you hadn't told your mother about me," he countered. He was right. "Look I didn't want to have an awkward conversation with my grandparents. Roxanne said she would cover for me." He took a deep breath and then added – "There is nothing sinister here. I promise."

I relaxed. He was right of course. I don't think I would have wanted to have that conversation with my grandparents either.

"Shall we go then?" I asked and took his hand.

He grinned.

* * *

The dinner went well. James complimented my mother on her cooking and on the way she had decorated our house. My mother, for her part, laughed at all his jokes in the right places and didn't say anything too embarrassing.

"So Laura says you're here staying with your grandparents?" she asked as I got up to clear the table. "They live nearby?"

"Yes," said James politely. "Can I help you with that?" nodding at the dishes.

"No, its fine," I insisted. Besides, I wanted to see if my mum could get any more information out of him about his family than I usually could.

"I don't know any Potters," she mused. "Do they not come into the village very much?"

"My mother's parents actually," James corrected her. "The Weasleys. But no I don't think they come –"

"Oh you _are_ a Weasley!" my mum interrupted him. I hastily dropped the plates I was carrying onto the kitchen counter and hurried back into the dining room. "My mother was asking me that last night on the phone."

"Your mother knows my grandparents?" James asked slowly.

"_Of_ them, I think. Oh relax James," she said, leaning across the table to touch his arm. "My family's lived in Ottery St. Catchpole for generations. We're bound to have bumped into them at some point."

"I suppose, yeah."

"So the Weasleys then? My mum said they were a big family. All with red hair?"

"Yeah," laughed James. This was news. The only 'Weasleys' I had met all had dark hair. "Not quite all of us anymore. My sister has my mum's hair. My brother and I take after our dad," he said warmly.

"And your dad's family?" my mum continued pressing.

James tensed.

"He doesn't have any," he said with all joviality gone from his voice. "My father is an orphan."

"Oh!" my mother gasped. Her hand springing to her open mouth.

"Right mum that's enough of the inquisition for tonight," I intervened. "I'm going to show James the rest of the house."

"Yes… Ok… Right…"

I hurriedly ushered James out of the main room and up the stairs into my room.

"I'm so sorry," I said quickly, closing the door behind me. "She doesn't mean any harm."

"Its fine," James said, standing uncomfortably by the end of my bed. "Really. It's just… It is what it is I guess."

I sat down on the side of the bed.

"So what do you think?" I asked gesturing round my tiny bedroom. The walls were faded pink from when I had begged my mum to paint them that colour when I was nine. It had just enough room for a single bed pushed against one wall, and a chest of drawers and small wardrobe pushed against the other. On the walls were numerous posters of boy bands and film stars, and a mirror in an old wooden frame that Kathryn and I had doodled on with black marker.

"It's small and cute," James grinned, still standing. "Like you."

"I'm not small!" I protested, swatting him in the knee.

"Ow! Small and vicious! Honestly I have no idea how you stack the top shelves in the shop."

"There's a foot stool under the counter," I admitted. "Well if I'm so small you better take a seat, lest I get too dizzy staring up at you at that great height."

"I'm ok standing," he replied and took a step closer to my mirror, apparently admiring the doodles. "Oh ho! What's this? L.E.C? Laura… Esmeralda…"

"Elizabeth," I laughed, correcting him.

"Laura Elizabeth Coulter…L.E.C. '4' J –"

"Don't read that!" I yelled, jumping up and trying in vain to push him away from the offending graffiti. He had me pinned in front of him in seconds, holding each of my arms in his as I struggled against him, both of us facing the mirror.

"L.E.C. '4' J.J.B." he finished. "J.J.B?"

"John Joseph Baker. We went out for about four minutes when I was thirteen. He broke up with me for Rebecca Jones."

"The scoundrel," said James in mock disgust. "And you knew his middle name and everything! Well we'll have to fix this."

I stopped struggling as he dropped one of my arms and lifted a marker pen from the top of my dresser. Very carefully he put a line through the 'J.J.B.' and wrote 'J.S.P.'.

"J.S.P?"

"He sounds like a much better choice, Laura. He doesn't even know who Rebecca Jones is. Although if she turns out to be fitter than you he might have to think about it." I took my free arm and tried to elbow him in the stomach. Again he pinned me in seconds. "You are vicious."

"And you're a git! Whose middle name is… Stephen?"

"No."

"Samuel?"

"Nope."

"Simon?"

"You'll be here all night."

"Secretive?"

"Really?"

"Stupid?"

"Ah you see, I _was_ going to tell you but now I'm just going to leave you to guess."

"What is it?" I asked sweetly.

"Sirius."

"Sirius?"

"What's wrong with Sirius?"

"It's a bit… unusual. Don't you think?"

"Is it?" asked James, slightly affronted.

"James I have literally never heard that name before."

"Well I'm named after somebody, so…"

"Someone else is named Sirius?" I asked incredulously.

"Was." He let me go and I quickly stopped laughing.

"James, come on I was kidding. I'm sorry. Who are you named after?" I asked, turning to face him.

"James for my father's dad, Sirius for my father's Godfather."

"And they're both…" He nodded slowly and then looked at me like he was contemplating something.

"They were murdered," he said eventually.

I gaped at him.

"And your grandmother? Your father's mother?"

He nodded again.

"My sister is named after her. Lily."

"Pretty name," I said, my head spinning.

"She's a pretty girl," he said begrudgingly, and unbelievably given what he had just told me, he smiled. "She's thirteen. The next few years are going to be awful."

"Protective older brother?"

"Two. Albus is just a year younger than me."

"Albus?" In spite of my dazed state of confusion, I smirked.

"Albus Severus," James grins back. "And you thought Sirius was unusual."

"And let me guess they were both…" James nodded for a third time, his grin widening. I couldn't help it. I gave a loud sharp laugh.

"I'm sorry," I said, trying to compose myself. "This is a lot to take in. Although I'm starting to understand why you don't really talk about your family."

He smiled at me.

"One day I'll tell you everything, but not tonight."

"No I think that's enough for tonight," I agreed. What the _hell_ happened to his family? My thoughts came to a halt whenever his lips met mine.

He broke away from me after a moment, looking awkward and a little guilty.

"What?"

"It's just… we're in your room…"

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"So?"

"I've never been in a girl's room before," he admitted. "Are you sure this is ok?"

"Yes," I said confidently. "Because nothing is going to happen."

"I know," James said quickly.

"This is a small house James," I said warningly. "So if you even _think_ about anything like that, trust me, my mother will hear you."

"Should have told me that earlier." He cleared the look of astonishment off my face with another kiss. "I should go."

"Ok," I said and kissed him again. Suddenly I really didn't want him to go. I don't know if it was having him here in my room, or how well the evening had gone with my mother, or just how much he had shared with me. Maybe it was the reminder that he would be leaving soon, but I wanted to ask him to stay with me, here, in my room. I'd never experienced this before. I must've been channelling some of this into the way I was kissing him because abruptly he pulled back from me.

"Roxanne will be waiting for me," he said, almost apologetically.

We walked back downstairs and after he said goodnight to my mum I walked him to the front door. As predicted Roxanne was waiting at the end of the path for him, with her trademark grin.

"Did you have a nice night?" I asked her.

"Oh fantastic," she replied. "James and I have been playing one on one in the paddock all evening. Haven't we James?"

I looked at James quizzically after he kissed me on the cheek.

"Playing what?"

"One day. Everything," he said, taking my hand. "I promise."

* * *

It was barely over a week later when James surprised me by coming round to my house first thing in the morning.

"Morning," I said blearily, opening the door to him. I was still in my pyjamas and dressing gown. "What are you doing here this early? My mum's only just gone to open up the shop."

"Morning to you too," he said brightly. "You are really not a morning person."

"Not at all," I agreed. "So could you come back in about twelve hours?"

"I can't. That's why I'm here."

"Oh," I said, trying to hide my disappointment. This would be the first evening in nearly four weeks that I hadn't seen James. "How come?"

"My parents are coming for dinner," he explained. "Albus and Lily too."

"Oh," I said again. Logically I knew that James would never introduce me to his parents, he barely mentioned them, so I assumed they were not very close. Still the twinge of disappointment was hard to fight off so early in the day. "Ok," I said, trying to smile. "Are you coming in?"

"No," he replied, shaking his head. "No they'll be arriving shortly. That's why I wanted to come and see you now." He looked around anxiously behind him, as if they might just appear out of thin air beside him now. I laughed.

"When will I see you then?"

"Tomorrow? I'll meet you at work ok?" And with a quick kiss he was away.

* * *

My mum was having a 'girl's night' that evening, which involved her and her friends in the village congregating in someone's house and sharing a bottle of wine, or two. Luckily tonight it was not in our house so I had invited Kathryn over to keep me company. We were sitting in my room when the mirror caught Kathryn's eye.

"Did you do that?" she asked, pointing at the letters James had added the week before.

I shook my head. "James did it," I replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

"So he's your boyfriend then?" she asked, seeing straight through me.

"Apparently so."

"So are you going to keep in touch when he leaves?" She had been dancing round the subject all evening, obviously wary of upsetting me.

I shrugged and pulled my legs up to my chest on my bed. "I don't know how we can. He doesn't have a phone and he says his school doesn't have an internet connection so…" I shrugged again.

"What school doesn't have the internet?" Kathryn scoffed.

"It's in a really remote part of Scotland apparently."

Kathryn continued to peruse the mirror.

"What? You think he's lying to me?" I asked.

"I did," she replied, her face unreadable. "It seemed a convenient way of having a summer fling without having to deal with any of the fall out. It's happened before," she said with a brave smile.

"But now?" I pressed her. I didn't want her to dwell too much on Fred.

"He really likes you Laura."

I squirmed.

"Oh wise up," she scolded me. "You really like him too."

I didn't deny it.

"So what do I do?"

* * *

Kathryn left late that night. So late in fact I think it was the morning. We had talked Fred and her, and James and I to death, and come up with no resounding conclusion.

It felt like I had only just fallen asleep when a continuous rapping sound woke me. I groaned out loud and cursed my mother. Surely she hadn't forgotten her key? I was a light sleeper and used to her waking me when she came in from a 'girl's night' but thinking I was actually going to get out of my cosy bed and let her in was a new annoyance. I lay in my bed for a few for moments, mentally preparing the furious onslaught I was going to give her when I realised that the rapping was not coming from our front door. It was coming from my window. And perched precariously on my bedroom window ledge was James.

"How did you…? Why did you…? What?" I was too shocked to form coherent sentences. He jumped down as I opened the window, and landed on my bed.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"Why are you on my window sill?" I asked, sitting down beside him. "_How_ are you on my window sill?"

"I needed to see you."

"Then use the door!"

"I didn't want to wake your mum," he reasoned.

"Then don't come to my house at half one in the morning! She's not home yet anyway." I took a deep breath to calm myself. "You should go before she gets back."

He took my hand, showing no intention of going.

"I'm leaving," he said simply.

"What?"

"I'm going back to London," he explained. "They told me tonight at dinner. They want me back home."

"When?" I thought we had another week. He had told me we had another week.

"In a few hours, when they all wake up." He lay back on the bed and ran his free hand through his hair. He looked like he hadn't slept yet.

"So you're saying goodbye?" I said quietly.

"I don't want to."

I lay down beside him and put his arm round me.

"I was meant to leave when Fred left," he said when the silence between us became too much. "Roxanne helped me come up with an excuse to stay, but its run out. I can't think of anything else." He sounded frustrated.

"Its ok," I assured him. I didn't ask what excuse Roxanne and he had come up with. It didn't matter now anyway. Although it was nice to know that he had prolonged his stay for me.

"Why are you smiling?" he asked.

"I had a nice summer, James. Thank you."

He frowned at me.

"You sound like I'm never going to see you again."

"Are you?"

He didn't answer, but looked deep in thought.

"I…" he started a few times but ultimately thought better of it. It shocked me when he punched the bed in frustration.

"James, its ok," I tried to soothe him.

Suddenly he kissed me like he had never kissed me before, and like he would never kiss me again. For the second time in my life feelings arose that I was still unfamiliar with. Feelings that made me never want him to leave. Feelings that made me forget that it was nearly two in the morning. Feelings that made me not care my mother would be home any minute. Feelings that made me want to do something so I would never forget this boy.

He broke away from me, with the same uncomfortable expression he had worn the first time he had kissed me in my room.

"I should –"

"James," I interrupted him. "Don't go. Not yet."

And I'm glad he didn't.


End file.
